Evaporating apparatus.



WWW/45 S. M. LILLIE. EVAPORATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 21, 1906.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

2 SHEETSSKEET 1.

WITNESSES: [NVENTOR Alfomey S. M. LILLIE.

EYAPORATING APPARATUS. APPLIOATION FILED 91:0. 21, 1906.

972,880. Patented Oct. 18, 1910:

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I WITNESSES: [NVENTOR SAMUEL MORRIS I QILLIE, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EVAIPORATIN G APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

Application filed December 21, 1906. Serial No. 348,850.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MORRIS LIL- LIE, of the cityand county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Evaporating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to evaporatlng apparatus and consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide means for heating the freslrliquor to be evaporated or concentrated prior to its entering the evaporating circulation in the several effects of the multiple effect, said heating being performed by the steam or vapor in the steam chambers of one or more of the several effects, whereby the fresh liquor in condition for speedy and economical concentration or evaporation upon entering the circulation in the evaporating chambers of the effects.

-My invention maybe employedin what is.

known as the Lillie evaporating apparatus, preferably of the vapor reversible type, one form of which is herein shown, or may be adapted to any other type of evaporating apparatus.

y invention consists in providing the steam chambers of the several effects of ainultiple effect with heating coils or devices connectedin series, combined with means to supply the liquor to one end of the series of coils or devices, and means for causing it to pass from the said coils or heating devices into the evaporating system of the apparatus.

My invention also comprehends the above apparatus when further combined with means for reversing the course of, the vapors and liquor, or either of them, in a reversible multiple effect whereby the liquor may be caused to flow in the proper direction through the coil to suit the reversal operations of the evaporating apparatus and the uses to which the apparatus is put.

My invention also comprehends other fea-' tures of construction, which, together with those above specified, are more particularly defined in the claims and will be better understood by reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a Lillie multiple effect with my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same near the front end; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation in simple form showingthe application of my improved liquor heating and circulating ipes.

A, A, A are three e effect. In Figs. land with theirsteam ends arranged alternately at opposite ends of the apparatus. The adjacent ends of the several effects are con nected by assages which are controlled by suitable va ves for circulation of the vapors and for reversingt-he direction or passage of the vapors. Thus the steam chamber S of eflect A is connected with 'evaporating chamber of effect A by passage B which is controlled by a valve (1; and the said evaporating chamber of the said effect A is connected with the steam chamber S of the effect A by apassage B controlled by a valve C. v nected by a rod D and adapted to be moved by a motor M or other means for opening one valve and closing the other,'or vice versa- Likewise the steamchamber S of the effect A is in communication with the vapor chambers of the two outer effects A A by passa es B and B whichhave valves C and 2 respectively. and said valves are opects of a multiple 2 they are shown These. valves C and C are eonerated by a rod D moved by a motor M or otherwise so that the valves are closed and opened alternately. Steam is supplied byvalve T to effect A or by valve T to efiect A and exhaust or vacuum takes place by valve T from effect A and by'valve T from effect A according to the direction of circulation. multiple effect of this character is fully set out in my-application Ser. No. 322,190 filed June 18, 1906 and no claim is made to it herein.

The liquor to be concentrated is fed to the effects and circulated therein in much the same way as set out in my application aforesaid, but my improved manner of heating the said liquor before it enters the evaporating chambers of theeflects embodies novel features and to which claim is made herein.

In view of the fact that the multiple effect evaporating apparatus herein shown is a re-. versible system it becomes advisable to provide means for reversing the flow of the fluid to be evaporated and such is shown in the accompanying drawings.

The operation of a reversible- As the multiple effects shown in Fi s. 1 and 2 have the adjacent effects turne in opposite directions and include the pumps -w1th consequent complication, I have provided adiagrammatic view in Fig. 3 to illustrate' the general features of mylnvention.

In Fig. 3, A, A and A are the elfects' and show the steam chamber ends at S. In these steam chambers are suitable heaters such as coils ofpipe E which are preferably connected in series so that the liquor that traverses them becomes heated by the surrounding steam. Assume valves H, J, J J 7 and J are 0 en and valves H, J and J closedthe co (1 liquor is supplied by pi e G and passes through valve H to the coil or heater of coolest eflect A and leaves-the coil of the hottest effect A, passes thence b ipe I into the eva crating chamber of e ect A thence by pipe I into the evaporating chamber of the effect A, thence by pipe I in'the evaporating chamber of eflect A,

thence by ipe I to discharge. The liquor in each e ect is treated to a circulation by the pumps and concentration by evaporation, so that it is gradually more dense or concentrated as it passes through the several effects. It will seem that, the liquor being highly heated before entering the evaporating chambers of the effects, is in a most exeellent condition for economical concentraion and for this reason the capacity and efficiency of the plant is materially increased I without additional expense.

\Vhen the effects are to be reversed, the valves H and J 9 and J are closed, and valves H, J and J opened, in which case the cold liquor passes by pipe G in the coil or heater E of effect A andthenc'e through coils E of the other effects, thence through pipe I into the evaporating chamber of effect A and successively through the evaporating chambers of the succeeding effects A, A and discharges by pipe I and valve J It is evident that if the effects are not made for reversal the liquor may be made to flow always in one direction with corresponding simplification of pipes and valves.

heaters are connected res )cctively with supply pipe G having valve I and supply pipe G having valve H, one of which valves only is open at any one time.

The bottom of theevaporating chambers are provided with circulating pumps L for the liquor asset out in my LettersPatent No. 7 89,159 dated May 9, 1905. The interior arrangement of-the several effects may be of the construction shown insaid Letters Patent. N 0. 789,159 and also as shown in Letters Patent No. 7 77 ,114 dated December 13, 1904, and Patent No. 939,143 dated November 2, 1909, all of which relate to the same type of apparatus herein described'and illustrated. The liquor, after being heated in the coils or heater E, is passed by pipe I through a valve J into an automatic valve controlled case K from which it' flows into the evaporating chambers of the hottest effect A. It there enters the fluid under-the circulation of the pump L of said effect. If the level of the liquor in the effect A becomes too low due to its concentration, part of the liquor from effect A is forced by the pump through pipe I and valve J 4 and admitted by the automatic valve in case K to the evaporating chamber of the effect A. This liquor is then absorbed in the liquor being circulated by the pump Lof this effect. In like manner when the level of the liquor in the evaporating chamber A is too low, the pump of effect A forces liquor by pipe I through valve J 2 and this is admitted by the automatic valve in" c'asing K into theeflect A. The concentrated liquor from the effect A may be discharged by pipe I having valve J and through which it is forced by the pump. During this operation the valves H, J, J J and J have been closed and the other valves are open. \Vhen the liquor is to be birculated in the reverse direction these valves are to be opened and valves H, J, J J and J are to be closed. The automatic valves in cases K are preferably float valves of any ordinary type, and may be similar, if desired to the float valves shown at R in the steam chambers S for controlling the escape of water of condensation.

By providing a pipe W having a valve IV it is evident that the liquor -to be evaporated may be made to reverse its direction'of flow through the heaters of the several steam chambers to correspond to the reversal of the vapors in the effects and yet flow through the. evaporating chambers of the several effects continually in the same direction. This condition is sometimes re-, quired. The use of this pipe W will also enable the apparatus to be used in cases where the liquors are to circulate in the reverse direction to the flow of the vapors and correspondin to the flow through the heaters, t-l" ese di erent manners of handling the liquors being well understood in Lillie multiple effect evaporating apparatus. It also frequently happens that a multiple effect apparatus is used with several independent liquors, each evaporated or concentrated in its own effect but the vapors of all such liquors but that of the lasteffect are utilized in maintaining the temperature of the effect as a Whole. My invention is intended to apply to all these uses of the apparatus and such others as might arise and are capable of being carried out.

I have shown the coils E constituting the heaters in excellent form for maximum duty and simplicity as to construction. Moreover, they are capable of easy removal for cleaning and while removed-may be substituted by a bridging pipe or temporary coil. The inlet and outlet terminals E E are flanged and secured to the Walls of the cylindrical shell in fixed position and the heater coils have flanged ends. which fit upon and are bolted to said inlet and outlet flanged terminals as ate. These heaters may be made in any other form and, though perhaps not so desirable, may be made. as a permanent part of the interior structureof the effect and to be heated by the steam in the steam chamber thereof. By making 1 them of coiled pipe, copper tubing may be used without excessive cost of construction.

I do not restrict my invention'to the re versible feature, as it is equallyeffective in those types of multiple effects in which the effects are not reversible. It is also to be understood that the particular type of multiple effects herein shown is given as that to which I more particularly apply my invention but it is to be taken as only an example of a suitable multiple effect and any other type of multiple effect may be employed in lieu thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is:

. 1. In a multiple effect evaporating apparatus the combination of a series of effects each having-a steam chamber and an evaporating chamber provided with evaporating tubes, with a heater indepei'nlent of the.

evaporating tubes of the effects arranged in the steam chamber of one of the effects, a liquor supply pipe for delivering liquor to the heater, and a system of pipes for conducting the heatedliquo'r from the heater to the evaporating chamber of the effects.

2. In a multiple effect evaporating appa ratus the combination of a series of effects each having steam and evaporating chambers, with heaters arranged in the steam chambers and wholly outside of the evaporating chambers of the effects and connected in series, a liquor supply pipe for delivering liquor to the heater of the coolest effect, and a system of pipes for conducting the heated liquor from the heater of the hottest effect to the evaporating chambers of the several effects in-succession.

3. In a multiple effect evaporating apparatus the combinationof a series of effects each. having steam and evaporating chambers, with heaters arranged in the steam chambers of the effects and wholly outside the direction of passage of the vapors of the' several effects, and means for reversing the direction of circulation of the liquor through the heaters to cause it to circulate 'inthe reverse direction to its flow through the effects during evaporation.

4. In a multiple effect evaporatin apparatus, the combmation of a series 0 effects operating as a unit, and having circulating liquor pipes for' causing the liquor being evaporated to traverse the effects in succession, with means located in-a plurality of the steam chambers and outside of the evaporating chamber of the effects for heating the liqf-ior before being delivered to the evaporating chambers of the effects.

5'. In an evaporating apparatus, a cylindrical body divided into steam and evaporating chambers, circulating means for circulating the liquor to be evaporated Within the evaporating chamber, a heater for the liquor arranged in the. steam chamber outside of the evaporating chamber, and means for causing the liquor to flow first through the heater and then into the evaporating chamber, whereby said'liquor is first 1, d by the steam in the steam chamber and then vaporized by the same steam in the evaporating chamber.

6. In an evaporating apparatus, a closed cylinder having steam and evaporating chambers, combined with a heater in the steam chamber outside of the evaporating chamber, a pipe to supply liquor to the heater, and a pipe to convey the heated liquor from the heater into the evaporating chamber whereby the liquor is first heated by the steam in the steam chamber and then evaporated by the steam in the evaporating chamber.

7. In a multiple effect evaporating appai'atus. the combination of a series of effects each having steam and evaporating chambcrs. coils of pipe substantially as shown in addition to the evaporating means of the effect and located in the steam chambers of each of the effects and. connected in series, means for supplying liquor to said coils, pumps for circulating the liquor in each effect, means-for supplying the heated liquor from the coils to the evaporating chamber of one of the end effects, a pipe leading from the pump of one effect to the evaporating chamber of the next effect and so on to the last efiect, and means for drawing off the liquor from the last effect or that far-,

-ing the first effect by steam from an external source and means for causing the vapor of the first effect to heat the second eflect- .and so on according to the number of effects employed, heaters in the steam chambers of a portion of the effects and in which liquor is to be heated before delivery for evaporation, means to cause the liquor to pass through said heaters in succession and in a direction the reverse of that taken in the apparatus by the vapors and means for delivering the heated liquor to the first effect of the series. 1

9. In amulti le effect, the combination of the several e ects and connecting means for passing the vapors from one effect-to the next in the usual manner, combined with heating means in a portion of the effects and heated by the steam or hot vapors existing in the steam chambers of the effects during their normal operatlon tor evaporatlng liquor, and means to cause the liquor to be evaporated to flow through the heating means in the direction from the coolest to the hottest heating means and effect.

10. In an evaporating apparatus, the com- 'bination of a cylinder divided into steam and evaporating chambers, with a removable coil for heating the liquor arranged in the heatin chamber, flan ed inlet and outlet parts fixed to the shell of the cylinder and forming openings through the same for the supply and discharge of the liquor trav ersing the coil, detachable flanged joints between the ends of the coil and inlet and outlet located Within the steam chamber Whereby the coil may be Wholly removed and temporarily replaced by another coil during cleaning of the removed coil, and bolts extending through the flanged joints and the flanged inlet and outlet parts for forming detachable steam tight joints between the flanged parts and shell of the cylinder.

In testimonyof which invention, I have hereunto set my hand.

' S. MORRIS LILLIE.

\Yitnesses JOHN J. WALTER, COLIN D. SMITH. 

